By Christmas 2018. The first three-person Christmas in our household in three years. Cody is home. The Christmas Eve dinner Sunday December twenty-third was the lemon-butter-Dijon chicken we have been making for two years now, plus the dilly cucumber salad as a fresh cool side that cuts through the richness of the chicken.
The recipe is from A Family Feast. Sliced English cucumbers tossed with a sour cream-dill-white wine vinegar-red onion-sugar dressing. Refrigerated an hour. The cucumbers release some water into the dressing and the salad becomes a slightly creamy, slightly tangy, very fresh side.
The math: a cucumber $0.79, sour cream from the small container $0.50, fresh dill $0.99, white wine vinegar from the bottle, a small red onion $0.20. Total: about $2.48.
The technique is the salt-and-rest. Slice the cucumbers thinly, salt them, let them sit for fifteen minutes, drain off the released water (this concentrates the cucumber flavor and prevents the salad from going watery). Then toss with the dressing.
The three of us at the kitchen table on Christmas Eve. The chicken in the cast iron in the middle. The cucumber salad in a bowl. Cody with both hands on the table the way he does. Mama humming the carol under her breath. The household has its third chair filled, this year, on this Christmas, for the first time since 2015. I am writing it on the page in pen.
The recipe is below. The trick is the salt-and-drain step.
Dilly Cucumber Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes (plus 20 minutes chilling) | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Salt the cucumbers. Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt, toss to coat, and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth.
- Mix the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, garlic, cumin, and black pepper until smooth and combined.
- Combine. Add the drained cucumbers (and red onion, if using) to the dressing. Toss gently until every slice is coated.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors come together. The salad is best served cold.
- Serve. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice as needed. Garnish with an extra pinch of dill or a few mint leaves if serving alongside an Indian-inspired spread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 65 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 310mg